Wild Boy

In this rousing coming-of-age story set on the American frontier, one ornery twelve-year-old has a lot to learn if he’s to survive his new life as a mountain man. Having run away after hitting Pa in a bout of rage, Jesse decides to fend for himself. Too much uncontrollable anger and inexplicable emotion since Ma went away have taken their toll. All he wants now

Overview

In this rousing coming-of-age story set on the American frontier, one ornery twelve-year-old has a lot to learn if he’s to survive his new life as a mountain man. Having run away after hitting Pa in a bout of rage, Jesse decides to fend for himself. Too much uncontrollable anger and inexplicable emotion since Ma went away have taken their toll. All he wants now is to be left alone. At first, every day on the mountain is a struggle. Beset by hunger and cold, fear and loneliness, Jesse stubbornly and defiantly refuses to concede defeat. Gradually, he learns to hunt, to skin and cure animal pelts, to build a cabin…all skills necessary to life in the wilderness. He takes on a mad mountaineer and even helps kill a bear. In so doing, Jesses slowly gains confidence and insight beyond his years. “I was watching me turn myself into a mountain man.” An action-packed adventure proves a provocative voyage of self-discovery as one young boy observes the best and worst in nature, people, and himself.

Editorial Reviews

Children's Literature

When a hot scratchy feeling comes over Jesse, he knows he is about to start throwing stuff. The twelve-year-old boy realizes that he is ornery, but he cannot control his wild impulses. When he hits his Pa in a fit of anger, Jesse flees to the mountains. Not knowing whether or not he has killed his father, Jesse is determined to hide and become a mountain man. Through hunger, fear, and loneliness, Jesse learns to trap and skin pelts. He even manages to make a friend of a loner named Larry after robbing his traps. But Jesse sometimes feels as though he is being watched. A crazy mountaineer wants Jesse off the mountain and his warnings soon become threats. In first person dialect comes an action-filled adventure with historical details about pioneer life. A hunt with a ferocious bear adds a dramatic punch. Jesse learns a lot about himself and his strange behavior. It seems that there is something in his past, some dim memory about his mother that has impacted his behavior. Written by an award-winning author, this is a terrific story for any child who has ever dreamed of striking out on his or her own. 2002, Marshall Cavendish,  Laura Hummel

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-Twelve-year-old Jesse's uncontrollable temper brings him grief, and after brutally hitting his father, he runs away from his frontier community on the Oregon Trail to try to survive in the nearby mountains. As careful as he is to conceal himself, he is noticed, especially by a patient mountain man, Larry, whose traps he has robbed. From Larry, Jesse reluctantly learns survival skills; he also learns about Billings, a dangerous mountain man inexplicably intent on driving Jesse away. Collier moves the plot forward slowly, providing fascinating details of frontier and mountain life, and using conversation and Jesse's inner monologue to develop his characters. Eventually Jesse begins to figure out the answers for himself, and the story is resolved believably. A well-constructed work of historical fiction.-Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Product Details

Meet the Author

James Lincoln Collier has written many books for children, including Give Dad My Best and Planet Out of the Past. Mr. Collier has also contributed more than five hundred articles to the New York Times Magazine, Reader’s Digest, and Boy’s Life.